Erwin Blumenfeld

An accessible, collectable book on Erwin Blumenfeld. Blumenfeld (1897–1969) is one of the 20th century’s most influential fashion photographers. Born in 1897 in Berlin, Germany, Blumenfeld eventually made his way to New York City where he would cast an indelible influence on American fashion photography in the 1940s and 50s. Chiefly known for his editorial work for American Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and for his advertising campaigns for Elizabeth Arden and Neiman-Marcus, Blumenfeld’s photographs are rich in their hybrid imagery, melding celebrities, saturated colour, strong black and white graphical images, and eroticism. This Blumenfeld book includes both his iconic fashion photographs and his lesser known but equally important surrealist and collage work that he developed outside his commercial work.

Michel Metayer is the director of the Toulouse School for Fine Arts in France.